Stargazing Through Time
by demonflower5236
Summary: Their relationship was a strange one. one that survived despite time. Yusei does all he can to protect Judei. But with the upcoming threat of Yliaster he'll need all the help he can get. Yaoi/ slash. starshipping. ooc judei! smart!judei!
1. Chapter 1

**Stargazing through Time**

 ** _READ!_**

 **Hello! And welcome to my first story! First some basic background info. Bonds beyond time took place in the first season of yu-gi-oh! 5ds and the first season of yu-gi-oh! GX. This fic starts at episode 65 of 5ds and one year after the end of GX. Neither Yusei nor Judei/ Jaden told their friends about Bonds beyond time. Yusei was able to keep in touch with Judei/Jaden through the crimson dragon and is able to travel freely to Judei/Jaden's time and back. As a result, his friends are used to him disappearing from time to time. There are more plot bunnies I will reveal as I release new chapters. For now enjoy! :)**

Yusei POV

It had been six months since our battle with the Dark Signers, and in that time, New Domino City had received… a bit of a facelift. The divide between City and Satellite was no more, and even more importantly, so was the tension between the two people from each of those districts. For the first time in a long time, the future was finally beginning to look up. If only I'd known the horror of what was to come. We'd saved the world once before, but now I wonder if our decks are strong enough to withstand this mysterious new threat. And the inevitable divide between us.

Elsewhere….

In the Security building in Domino with the big satellite dish on top, a small man with light purple hair with a single curl falling over his forehead. He is dressed in an elaborate red suit and has what looks to be red lines going vertically over his eyes and down his cheeks and red lipstick on. He is known as Lezar, vice—director of Neo Domino city. Lezar is pacing frantically in a small, plain room that might be his own office.  
"I can't stand the pressure! It's too much to take!"  
Lezar slams his hands down on the tiny desk before continuing to pace rapidly back and forth.  
"I'm going to crack! After all, it's not every day you meet your new boss, the boss of the whole city! The new Director! Ugh!"  
The phone on the desk rings. Lezar angrily picks up the handset.  
I told you, no calls!  
The caller is wearing a light gray uniform; clearly he works for the City.  
\- Actually, you said no calls except for emergencies, and we have one! A meteor has struck the city!  
"You call that an emergency?!"  
The terrified subordinate springs to a salute. Then Lezar actually absorbs what he said.

….  
"...Hmm? ...Wait, a meteor? Oh, dear- now that's what I call an emergency!"

A huge black monolith stands unsupported. The sun glares over the edge of it, illuminating the opposite side of it while casting this side into shadow. If anything is inscribed into or upon it, we can't see it. Three individuals stand before it, all wearing white robes and head cloths. The first of them to speak is thin, of medium build. He has a black mark on one cheek descending in a spike from his natural eye, whose iris is an unnatural red but otherwise normal, and a stone mask covering, or stone prosthetic replacing, his left eye. His name, we'll soon learn, is Primo.  
"Excellent. It has arrived in one piece."  
They're standing in a crater created by the impact that appears to be maybe fifty feet in diameter and ten feet deep at its center.  
"Yes, and already left quite the impression, I'd say! Hehehmhmhm!"  
"Well, what else would you expect? It's my card."  
The shortest of them is distinguished also by the stone frame he wears around his shoulders under his robe, crossing in front to form the appearance of an infinity symbol. He also has an apparatus similar to Primo's for his right eye that swivels with the appearance of a chameleon's eye. We'll later come to know him as Lester.  
"That it is. So I guess you'll be first?"  
The third and final of the three to speak is huge, taller than Primo and also wider; his stone mask or replacement covers his mouth, distorting his voice. One of his shrewd dark gray eyes gazes up at the stone, and the other is hidden behind a tuft of grey-brown hair that's part of a long, gray beard. We'll soon know him as Jacob.  
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, there's a plan; and we must follow it."  
Of course I remember. I came up with it. And it's perfect. I've arranged it so that no one can stand in our way." Primo says. "Uh...!"  
Sirens can be heard.  
"Mm?" Jacob says  
"Hmm." Primo smiles  
Several Security vans pull up at the edge of the crater. Lezar is the first out of one, and his troops are unloading.  
"Hey! Who are you three?! What're you doing here?! I order you to vacate these premises now!" Lezar shouts.  
"And I order you to watch your tongue, worm!" mumbles Jacob  
Primo turns and speaks to Lezar.  
"My friend, all is fine. There's no cause for alarm."  
"No cause?! Just who do you think you're talking to-! Ah!"  
Lezar stops short when Primo swiftly points a sharp sword right between his eyes, an inch from his face.  
"Now, now. Is this really how you wanna start things off, with your new Directors?"  
Lezar is very preoccupied with the sword pointed at his nose.  
"New- Directors? -You mean—"Lezar seems stunned  
"Yes." Primo responds  
"You see, the three of us will be sharing the job." Lester says. "Ahahahahahuhuhuh."  
"The three of you! Oh my word! I'm sorry- no one told me—"  
Lezar kneels on the ground and bows deeply.  
"I beg your forgiveness!"  
Lezar jumps up, points to the Directors, shouts at the officers now assembled in a straight line behind him.  
"What're you buffoons standing around for, these are the new Directors, salute them!"  
The guards salute and chorus in perfect unison—  
"Ten-hut!"  
"That's better! And from now on you're to do whatever they say, understood?!"  
"Yes sir!"  
" _This will be even easier than I imagined..."_ thought Primo.  
Above them, the fallen tablet casts an ominous shadow...

Night, on a street somewhere in Domino. A guy is riding a blue duel runner. Suddenly a huge shadow looms over him. He turns and looks up. The face of the monster is reflected in his helmet visor; a white shell, black face, with glowing red lines. The duelist cries out in fear...

Later that night, a few Security cars are on the scene, with a few low-ranks looking around. They hear the sounds of more vehicles approaching.  
"We got company."  
The officer standing by the cars waves a red glow stick to flag down the newcomers.  
"Time to see who Headquarters sent us."  
Mina flashes her Security badge, all business. In the six months her cropped lavender- blue hair has gotten slightly longer, though otherwise she's much the same.  
"Mina Simmington, Sector Chief of Special Investigations."  
Beside her, Trudge shows his badge also. Instead of his usual uniform, he's wearing a button-up white shirt and carries a coat or blazer slung over his shoulder. The six months have done him good; he looks taller, more at ease with himself.  
"Officer Trudge, Vice-Chief."  
The guards lead the two investigators into the scene.  
"How's the victim?" asks Mina  
"Pretty banged-up, can't stay conscious for more than a few minutes or so."  
"Guess we'll have to wait for his testimony, then..."  
She looks up from her musings, sees what they've been led to see, and gasps aloud.  
"And from the looks of that runner... It'll be some story." Says Trudge.  
The occupants of the room can't help but let out a gasp at the sight of the runner. The blue runner from the previous scene has been scorched and melted halfway into scrap.  
"That's five of these accidents in a week." Exclaims Trudge.  
"These are no accidents, Trudge- the city is under attack."

General POV

In the early morning light a lone figure appeared on the edge of new domino city.

"So this is Neo Domino, huh." it mumbled to itself. The figure, who appeared to be a young man, gazed out upon the city. The sunlight was just beginning to hit the tips of the buildings, creating the effect of the entire futuristic city being bathed in gold. All of a sudden a slightly overweight cat popped out of the top of the young man's bag. "Meow!" it exclaimed.

"I know, I know, we'll see him soon pharaoh." The young man lightly scratched the ear of the white and orange calico cat.

 _"He's defiantly here, his aura practically saturates this place."_ The young man closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

" _Well best to get a move on. It's about time I saw him again_ " the young man began walking through the streets seemingly with no purpose, his tan coat billowing around him. Before stopping at a random spot and gazing at the city over the railing bordering the road. _"I wonder how long it will take him to find me…."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes I realize that I forgot to add the disclaimer in the last chapter. I own nothing! Also the basis for my story (script from yu-gi-oh! 5ds) I got from , go check it out, the transcripts were really helpful!**

 **(Also I'm only going to do the disclaimer once so again, I own nothing!)**

Yusei POV

"She's purring like a kitten. A few more tweaks and we should be able to test this new engine at full throttle!"  
Jack, in his riding suit, is experimentally revving the engine of a duel runner on blocks, while I sit at the computer behind him watching the data and Crow stands by.  
"Forget a few more tweaks, Yusei, I say test it now!" Crow exclaims  
"Why not? With Jack Atlas in the driver's seat, what could possibly go wrong?" Jack says smugly. I get a bad feeling at his statement which is confirmed seconds later.  
My screen flashes and shows an ominous exclamation point.  
I quickly turn around "A lot. Jack, lay off the accelerator!"  
Jack shouts over the roar of the engine "Accelerate more?! Okay!"  
No, decelerate! Says Crow

BOOM!

Thick black smoke explodes from the first-floor windows of the building, a respectable-looking white townhouse, the basement of which we're using as a garage. Passersby stop walking and chatter nervously; what's going on?  
\- What was that?  
\- What just happened?

I cough and wave away the dust and smoke, and next to me Crow shoves a piece of scrap metal off of himself. I stand and take off my safety goggles. My face and hands are covered in soot as is my typical black muscle shirt.

"Hey, is everybody okay?"  
"Yeah, we're all right." Crow says in a slightly raspy voice.  
Jack sits up, scattering debris.  
"The duel runner, on the other hand..." says Jack.  
Is reduced to a pile of twisted junk metal. I kneel over it.  
"We pushed it too hard..." I mutter.  
"Whaddaya mean we? That was all Jack!" Crow yells pointing at the blonde.  
"I beg your pardon?! You were the one who told me to go full-throttle!"  
"Please, since when does Jack Atlas, the so-called "Master of Faster", "the Sultan of Speed", do what someone else tells him to do?"

In the midst of my two friends argument I hissed quietly and grabbed my right arm, the one holding my signer mark. It had been bothering me for a few hours, getting more intense as time passed. I hadn't thought much of it, as it didn't feel like the other times my mark had activated and I didn't want to worry the others. But, it was much more painful than it ever had been...  
At the ground-floor semi opaque windows above them, bystanders are starting to crowd around, wondering where the explosion came from.  
"Clearly I was just testing your judgment, a test you failed I might add."  
"Why, you...!"  
"Bring it on!"  
"That's enough!"

An old women in her early 60s stood in the doorway of out garage. She had her hands on her hips and a furious expression on her face. Jack and Crow turn around simultaneously.  
"Huh?"  
I stand up from the wreckage of the runner and look up toward the stairs to the ground floor level. Trying to act normal and keeping my expression blank.  
"Uh-oh, our landlord." Crow said.  
"Aw, she doesn't scare me!" snorted Jack.  
Our landlord is a tough woman in a plain dark blue old-fashioned dress and a very severe bun, almost as severe as the scowl on her face. She looks like the kind of old-fashioned librarian nobody crosses. A bunch of bystanders are peering through the doorway behind her.  
"Oh, is that so, mister tough guy? Well, does living on the streets with the rats scare ya?! Cause I'm this close to tossing you bums out! Zora states.  
Crow adopts a sheepish expression and Jack starts stammering.  
"Wait-! No, you don't understand...! That explosion- it was just—"Jack tries.  
"Just nothing! I'm sick and tired of all your excuses so don't even bother with them!"  
Jack and Crow look crestfallen. I mirror their expression.  
"Sorry, Zora." I apologize. "We've been working on the new engine again." I carefully give her the puppy dog eyes hoping she will abate in her anger.  
Zora practically swoons, her scowl vanishing.  
"Ahh...! Yusei, dear, say no more. You go ahead and make all the noise you want."  
Zora walks down the ramp towards us.  
After all, you did save the world from those Dark Signers. She half whispers to me.  
I know you say it was all three of you, but you really just ought to quit being so modest!  
"Sure, whatever you say." I say blankly mentally rolling my eyes.  
Jack and Crow sigh; though whether in relief or exasperation, it's hard to tell. Just then we hear sirens.

Outside, a plain black car with sirens blaring pulls up. The crowd is chattering.  
\- Sector Security?  
\- What in the world?  
\- What're they doing here?  
Zora walks outside as Trudge steps out of the car. Trudge is a tall man of maybe forty-five. He had tanned skin and a large puckered scar running down the side of his face. He had black hair with bangs running down to his overly thick eyebrows and the back ending in points at the nape of his neck.  
"Oh dear- please accept my apology. I know my tenants can be a bit noisy, but they really mean no harm. She laughs nervously. Well, maybe two out of the three do, but Yusei..."  
"Heh. Relax," Trudge says. "That's not why we're here. No, I'm afraid- there're even bigger issues at hand."  
Jack, and Crow and I have joined them outside. All three of us look serious at the sound of that. Though the increasing pain in my arm is making it harder and harder not to cringe outright.  
"Oh, my...! It sounds serious!" Zora exclaims.  
"Gentlemen, if you don't mind- let's talk inside." Says Mina. A woman with short blue hair in a blue pencil skirt and suit jacket.

An old electric fan whirs away on the wall of our basement-garage. Trudge and Mina stand over the ruined runner in the center of the room, while I pick through it. Pursing my lips in annoyance at the failure. In slightly better light, we can see that the explosion scorched the floor black about two feet around the wreck.  
"Don't tell me you guys are still working on that new duel engine prototype...?" Trudge exclaimed.  
I stand up, holding a piece of the wreck in my hand to examine it closer. _"It could still be used, good…"_  
"We sure are. And if we can ever get the thing to work right, it'll really take our game to the next level." I say.  
Crow, leaning against the ramp, thumbs over his shoulder at a poster on the wall.  
"And that's what it's gonna take to win the Grand Prix, the toughest, roughest duel contest ever to hit New Domino City. It'll be here before we know it!"  
"Right, and since its three to five duelists to a team, creating one new engine design that we can all use is the best way to soup up all our runners at once, and guarantee that victory and dueling immortality will be ours!" Jack added confidently. But what neither of my two friends knew was that this wasn't my only reason for creating a new engine design.

 _Flashback_

 _One year ago…._

 _Judei and I were sitting on the roof of the Slifer dorms. It was the weekend, the time I usually visited at so that Judei wouldn't skip class to hang out with me. Not that that stopped him. After the Yubel incident, Judei had closed himself off from most of his other friends and rarely went to class. I knew it was because he didn't like being around "normal humans" very much. At first he said it was because all of his new powers and the changes to his body were overwhelming and being around all of their auras at once was almost painful. He always said that people with spiritual powers had different auras than others. Ones that were more calming to be around. Duel academy didn't host very many of these students, though he was friends with most of them, so it always confused me that he seemed to refuse to speak, or even be in the same room, with his friends after the incident. Though if you could say one thing about his friends, it was that they were very persistent. At 4:00 o' clock every day the whole group of them would come trudging over to the old Slifer dorms and begin pounding on Judei's door begging him to come out and talk, go have supper with them, " hey wanna have a duel?" etc. This had been going on for over six months. He would never say a word to them. Finally he admitted that he felt horrible about what he had done to them in the other world, and he was terrified that he would hurt them again._

 _"All of them are normal. They don't know what I'm going through"_

 _But apparently I did. I knew the struggle of discovering you had powers you didn't understand and the fear of hurting those close to you. I was always so afraid that my friends wouldn't understand if I told them I liked guys and the fact that I knew more about the crimson dragon than all of them put together. I didn't know why the Peruvian deity seemed to favor me so much out of all the other signers, but it did, and I had had to deal with the consequences of its power for years. So I didn't push Judei when he said he didn't want to be around others. Even if perhaps it was out of my own selfish desire to monopolize him._

 _"Hey Yusei"_

 _Judei was standing in front of me on graduation day, his bag all packed and ready to go._

 _"just so you don't get all worried trying to find me every time you come visit, I'm going to give you a challenge….."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back to my story! I've actually been so excited writing this that I kind of can't stop!** **:)** **Hence, this chapter is a long one!** **:)** **So some more info for you. Im sure you've noticed how I keep saying Judei/ Jaden…. There is a reason for this and I will explain it further into the story. Judei/ Jaden knows how to work on duel runners in theory because Yusei taught him how and he was able to comprehend it because… well your gonna have to wait a few more chapters for that.**

Yusei POV  
Jack determinedly taps with his fist another poster that depicts a turbo-duel. Startling me out of my thoughts. He's standing at the top of another set of stairs opposite Crow's.  
"What more do you guys have to prove? You already saved the world. If y'ask me, it's all right for you to rest on your laurels a bit." Trudge asked.  
"No way! A true duelist never rests. He's always training and getting better! Isn't that right, Yusei?" Crow asked.  
"That's right, Crow. But winning the Grand Prix isn't what I'm training for." I say.

 _"Not at all"_ an image of Judei flashes through my mind.  
I'm still holding the object I removed from the wreck, and my mark of the dragon is visible on my bare right arm as I speak. No one seems to notice the slight golden glow it's emitting.  
"True; we may have saved the world, but it was close, too close for comfort. We nearly lost everything that we care for. Crow, I know you and Jack came out of it more sure of your duel skills than ever..."  
Jack nods firmly, as does Crow.  
"But as for me, I've never been more uncertain." My mind flashes to what could have happened. If I had disappeared, Judei would have been devastated, not to mention everything and (almost) everyone I cared for could have been destroyed. No, if anything ever happened to me, I almost fear what Judei would have done more than anything else. He is the supreme king after all, there is literally almost nothing more powerful than him. His rage and sadness would have been almost worse than if the dark signers had won. There is no doubt in my mind he would have most likely unleased a tragedy worse than zero reverse on the world….  
Mina primly clears her throat, awkwardly changing the subject and again, pulling me out of my thoughts.  
"Speaking of uncertainty..."  
"Sector Security has its fair share, these days." Trudge continued.  
"Lemme guess—. "Jack said "that's why you're here."  
"Have you heard the rumors? About the Ghost?" Trudge asked.  
"The Ghost...?" I said.  
"Yeah, I think so! He's that guy who's supposed to appear at night, challenge you to a duel, an' then force you into a crash, right?" said Crow  
"Yeah." Trudge confirmed.  
"As you know, when New Domino City and Satellite were linked up, turbo-duels were legalized. It didn't take long before all types of special courses were being built; but it wasn't until the Grand Prix was announced, and they came out with that new Speed World Two card, that things really went into overdrive. Duelists from all over were battling on side-streets and highways, day and night.

"Of course they were!" Crow snorted. "There's no better way to sharpen your skills for the Grand Prix than with a freewheelin' turbo-duel!"

"I agree..." Mina stated "because there are supposed to be safety measures in place to make sure that no one gets injured."  
"Wait, are you saying that Ghost's not a rumor, that he's real and he's found a way to bypass the safety measures?!" Jack askes, alarmed.  
"That's correct, Mister Atlas. You're quite astute." Mina says.  
"Don't tell 'im *that*, Chief, it'll go to his head!" says Trudge.  
"So what's this gotta do with *us*?" Crow asks. "I mean it's clear what has to be done! Someone's gotta go out late at night, take 'im on in a turbo-duel and beat 'im!"  
"Exactly right!" Trudge says. He and Mina look at me. "So how 'bout it?"  
"Uh, so how about what?" I ask  
vaguely I notice that the back of Crow's new yellow jacket has a stylized blackbird on the back.  
"Ohh, no! I know where you're goin' with this, Trudge, and you can just forget it!"  
Jack and I look more ambivalent, but Crow isn't beyond telling them no to their faces. He had always been direct like that.  
"Don't get me wrong- I hate that people're getting hurt; but we've got the Grand Prix to prepare for, and we don't have any time to spare! You guys're Security, you take care of it!"

And with that Crow all but shoves Trudge and Mina out the door. The crowd has dispersed.  
"Thanks for droppin' in! Great seein' ya! Bye!"

Crow closes the door again and bolts it.  
"Now, let's get back to work, shall we?"  
"Uh..." I mumble.  
Jack sighs and mutters "if we must…" but out loud says "All right..."

It is at this moment when I finally notice the golden glow coming from my arm, the pain drawing my eye. My eyes widen. The glow is familiar. I can remember when my mark had done this before, dozens of times in fact. When I dueled with Judei….. Or when he was trying to contact me.

"Hey Yus' you okay…?" Crow asks finally noticing how I seem to be gripping my arm.

Seemingly abruptly, I drop what im doing and run to my duel runner quickly grabbing my helmet and revving the engine.

"Yusei, hey! Where are you going! Yusei!?" Crow shouted. I quickly turned to answer.

"Ah... Um… Sorry. I forgot I was supposed to pick up some duel runner parts an hour ago, I don't know how long they'll hold them for me if I don't hurry." It was believable. The only thing I ever really panicked about that my friends knew about at least was runner parts, cards/duels, and when someone's life was in danger.

"Ah! You had better get going then! Need some help?" Crow asked.

"Mm. No I've got it, I might be a while though, it's in the next city over."

"Humph, then I suppose we only have to make dinner for two then don't we." Jack said.

"Don't be rude! Just cause Yus' ain't gonna be here don't mean were not gonna have food for 'im when he gets back!"

"Well why not! It's not like he's going to eat it!"

I smiled slightly at their bickering. Those two would never change.

"Call us when you're done kay?" Crow yelled out as I was pulling out of the garage.

"I will." I yelled back. I felt a bit bad about the lie, but if it really was Judei….

Judei/Jaden POV

I sat on the side of the road leaning against the weird looking fence surrounding it. I knew I had been sitting in this same spot for hours because I could feel the hot sting of sunburn upon my skin, and see that the sun was much lower in the sky than when I had first stopped to wait. Pharaoh had long given up on yelling at me for food. She seemed to realize that this would be one of those times that neither of us ate until I had accomplished whatever my goal was. And this time my goal was Yusei. Instead she had climbed into my lap to get as much attention as possible. The calico had lost weight since she had begun traveling with me. She no longer could barely keep up and waddle around everywhere we went. She was still a bit chubby, but then again I did spoil her.

" _Though Yusei spoils you more."_ It was true. Every time Yusei came to visit he would always sneak Pharaoh extra portions of food and just spend hours playing with her. Needless to say, my cat liked Yusei more than she liked me.

"And I'm the one who feeds you too!" I mock glared at the fur ball. Her only reaction was to look up at me innocently. "Meow?"

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about Pharaoh! I pouted.

"Exactly how long have you been sitting here if you've resorted to holding a conversation with your cat?" My head whipped up immediately and I had barely seen a glimpse of a raven haired man and a bright red duel runner before I was up and said man was being hugged.

"Yusei!" I pulled back and looked up at the raven. He was smiling. A real one, not those little ones he gave other people because he was too shy to smile very big. His indigo eyes were sparkling in happiness and amusement though there also seemed to be an edge of something else. _"Has he not been sleeping again?"_ The guy's aura was just as I remembered it. An aura wasn't really something I could explain to another person. It wasn't something you saw, it was more something you felt _and_ saw. If I could describe it using colors I'd say that Yusei's was always silver with bits of red flecks in it and a very subtle golden edge. Sometimes it would have black or blue in it too depending on how he was feeling. His aura was always the most calming and relaxing presence I'd ever felt in this life, or my past life. Being around Yusei, was kind of like being doped up on valium* all of the time.

"Are you just going to stare at me?" I blinked and briefly contemplated saying yes just to see Yusei's reaction. Sighing, I pulled away and blew my bangs out of my forehead and tucked my hair behind my ears.

"Sorry, I just… haven't seen you in a while ya know?" I was suddenly feeling shy.

"Oompf" I pouted up at Yusei as he suddenly ruffled my hair.

"I missed you too." Yusei said. Then suddenly frowned.

"Not that im not glad to see you, but… how and why exactly are you here? It's not exactly easy to travel through time." My grin immediately dropped and I sighed slightly angry.

"I'm the supreme king Yusei." I said quietly. "Normal rules don't exactly apply to me."

He hesitated. "…yes, but won't it mess up the time stream if you're here for too long?" I paused. Not answering for a while. Then I said something I knew he hadn't expected to hear. Something I had been contemplating for a long time.

To be continued…

* **if you didn't know, valium is a powerful anti-anxiety drug. If you've ever had laughing gas at the dentist's, it's like that times 10.**


	4. Chapter 4

**No, I have not been stuck in a writing rut. * sweat drop* my first semester of school is just about to end and the teachers have been packing on the work so by the time I get home I don't really feel like writing anymore. Don't fret my loyal readers! I don't plan on ever abandoning this story! Anyway, more information!** **J** **As far as im concerned all of the signers have some sort of psychic power even if it's barely noticeable. Yusei has learned to tap into that power while the other signers have not and he feels a lot of guilt for keeping it from them but at the same time enjoys the secret because it has brought him closer to Jaden/ Judei. Also, the more reviews and feedback I get the faster I will update. I'm not going to update very fast if it seems like no one is reading this so if you read this story and like it let me know please! I promise if I get 10 reviews I'll update the next chapter within 24 hours of the time I check and have that many.** **J**

Yusei POV

"I exist outside of time Yusei, as the supreme king I don't exist in just one place in time that just wouldn't work. A human lifespan and restrictions would lead to chaos in the spirit world. I need to be able to be anywhere in time in order to keep order." Judei looked at me with an intense stare as he practically mumbled these words.

I looked at him, eyes wide. _"But that meant…"_

"Judei" I paused. "Not that I expect you to leave your life in the past, but… why didn't you tell me about something this important before?" had I known about this, we could have met more often than the sporadic once weekly-monthly we managed.

"I didn't say anything before because…" he paused seeming to contemplate his thoughts. At this moment I began to notice little details. Like how it seemed like he hadn't cut his hair for a while, and the dark circles under his eyes indicating his lack of sleep.

Finally Judei sighed. "I'm all my dad has, he already worries about me enough with me traveling the world and being ruler of the spirit realm, I couldn't add my disappearing mysteriously to that list." "I couldn't do that to him." He said more quietly. "He deserves better than that."

"But, Judei." I said. "You wouldn't have to leave permanently. Couldn't you just come for a visit like I do with you?"

He shook his head no. "It's kind of a one way trip. I can only jump time..." he scrunched up his nose and began counting on his fingers. "…. Once every two years." If I came to visit, I'd kind of be stuck here for a while." he smiled ever so slightly. Like it wasn't a huge deal that he had left his entire life and his family behind for such a long time.

Realization hit me like a semi-truck. Only now was when I remembered. Judei and his father were very very close. As far as I knew, he was even who the brunette had gotten his powers from. I bit my lip in guilt. No wonder he had never mentioned it to me before.

"So, why now?" I asked, confused on why Judei would do such a thing. He had always been a bit unpredictable, but this…

He looked up at me through his bangs. I noticed for once he wasn't wearing colored contacts like he usually did and his ice blue eyes seemed to pierce right through me.

"When you stopped coming. I waited, but after I hadn't seen you for two months I realized that I couldn't stand to be apart from you. I need you in my life Yusei, even if I have to give up my old one to have you."

…

I was stunned. I hadn't realized that Judei… felt so strongly for me. We had been "dating" for about a year yes, but our relationship had been more in the range of more-than-friends-but-not-quite-lovers stage. Yes we had kissed, but this had been both of ours first relationship so we had been taking it slow. I had noticed the hole that had been there with Judei's absence. His smile, his laugh, his stupid jokes and the way he always made dueling fun. The serious look he got when he was set on something… looking at him now, I wondered how I had missed it. How this person had gotten so entangled within my heart that it physically hurt to imagine a world without him in it. And how I had missed that he felt the exact same way about me.

I must have been gaping like a fish because although Judei looked a little unsure about my reaction he began laughing. "Ha, hahahaha." He wiped tears away from his eyes as he stood up from the position he had been hunched over in. "the look on your face!" he giggled. "Never thought I'd ever see the great Yusei Fudo totally speechless!" I blushed slightly. I wasn't usually a very expressive person. Judei was really the only one who saw my different reactions on a regular basis. I pushed him lightly. Frowning and still blushing.

"Stop it. Meanie." I said softly.

"Sorry Yusei." He grinned widely. "You know how much I love seeing new expressions though." I rolled my eyes but let out a soft smile. I couldn't really deny that I liked seeing new and rare expressions on him as well. In fact… I started walking towards him with a serious look on my face.

"Uhh… Yusei?" his eyes widened. "I said I was sorry!" he tried backing away but hit the road framing behind him. He looked a little frightened. He probably thought I was going to tickle him or something. He hated it when I did that. I leaned forward.

"Mnn." He sighed and leaned into the kiss I had surprised him with, carefully reciprocating. We were both a bit hesitant, as was usually the case, both of us didn't really have a lot of experience after all. I slowly began moving my lips and opened my mouth, letting Judei decide if he wanted to go further. I was only slightly disappointed when he almost immediately stepped away.

"…haa" he pulled away from the kiss a bit breathless. His eyes were a bit glazed over as well.

"you know… I feel the same way about you." He looked up slightly confused and still dazed. I flushed.

"I… don't think that I could stand a world without you in it. You're… probably the person I care about the most."

Judei immediately sent me the most breathtaking smile I had even seen him make.

" good, because I'm not going anywhere."


	5. Chapter 5

**Aaaand, I'm back! Just so you guys know. I've technically already finished writing this story I just haven't typed it up yet. Also. FREAKING REVIEW. I want to know what you guys think of this fic. Was the last chapter too fluffy? Should I have made it longer? Let me know please! This is my first story and I want to know what you think. Seriously, if you have enough time to read, let alone fav or follow my fic, you have enough time to review.**

 **…** **. Now more information. Just so you guys know this fic** ** _does_** **take place after Jaden/ Judei and Yubel have already fused. Thus there are some personality /other changes from this. (This is my excuse to do whatever I want with his character.) also for those of you who don't like short chapters ( I know I don't!) once I have more written I'll be combining chapters but I would rather release shorter chapters more frequently than to keep my beloved readers waiting!**

Jaden/Judei POV

My opinion of Yusei's duel runner had defiantly not changed. The thing was a death machine. The red chrome glinted- which should be impossible as it was now dark out- almost evilly, like the bike knew how much I despised it. Combine that with the engine being strangely silent, quite unlike the motorcycle it resembled, and you had one creepy vehicle.

"Ahhh! Why the heck does this thing have to be so fast!" I screamed clinging tightly to Yusei's waist. I swear, humans were not meant to be able to go this fast. I could feel the wind whipping around me as it practically tore at my skin and clothes. _And Yusei finds this fun_?

"Well, then it wouldn't be as much fun would it?" Jerk, I could practically feel him laughing at me. Not my fault I wasn't into his insanely fast bike. I gripped harder as the bike made a sudden turn. I was pressed up tightly against him and for once, I kind of didn't care, more worried about holding on than being embarrassed.

"You okay? I'm going pretty slowly" Yusei asked with concern in his voice. _This was slow_?

"This is slow?!" I asked in shock. We had to have been going at least 100 miles an hour! He didn't say anything. Hmph, I just knew he was smiling. Not that I didn't like Yusei's smile or anything cause I did. Just not when he was silently laughing at me.

"Yes Judei, this is slow." He said. That was it. The future was full of crazy people.

I didn't say anything the rest of the ride. Just held on and hoped I survived.

Yusei POV

I knew Judei was mad at me for laughing at him. But it was just _so_ _funny_. Despite the numerous amount of times he had ridden on my duel runner over the course of the last three years, he was still scared of it. He could probably build the engine, chip, and accelerator from scratch and make it better than anyone else's, but he still hated riding on one.

Finding humor in the situation also kept me from thinking about the very distracting way Judei was pressed up against me.

Once Judei fell silent, I didn't try to continue the conversation. Silence between the two of us had never been unnatural, more… comfortable. Around most people, I was naturally a pretty quiet guy, so the silence never bothered me. I suppose it helped that Judei and I seemed to have a sort of connection. Much like an understanding of someone you've known forever. Even though we had only known each other for three years, that connection was still present. It had been since the moment we met. We always seemed to have at least some idea of what the other was thinking. So silences between us were never awkward.

The stars glinted brightly overhead as I pulled into the garage of our building. Only now was it occurring to me that my roommates were going to be angry and worried that I had been gone so long. I had been so focused on finding Judei that I had been ignoring their calls and attempts to patch into my duel runner feed. Now that I think about it, they probably thought I was kidnapped or something…

"Yusei!" Crow yelled. _And the lecturing begins_.

The young redhead rushed out to meet us. He looked extremely upset. And pissed.

"Where the hell have you been?" Crow yelled. "We've been callin' and trying to reach ya for _hours_."

"…sorry?" I tried. I knew this wasn't exactly a good response. I _always_ answered calls and was _never_ out late or somewhere the others didn't know where I was unless something bad had happened. (With the exception of when I visited Judei, but Jack and Crow just had a bet going that I had a girlfriend.)

"Sorry don't cut it Yus'!" he snapped. "All of us were real worried about you ya know!" "Jack and Akiza are still out looking for ya!"

"You called Akiza?" I interrupted. Crow frowned.

"Of course we did!" he threw his arms in the air in exasperation. "We didn't know what had happened and if ya had gotten kidnapped or something'!" a small part of me was smug fact I had my friends pegged so well. But then again it's not like something similar hadn't happened before...

"And now I gotta tell 'im we were worried for nothin'!" Crow continued his rant.

"Mreow!"

Judei/ Jaden POV

 _So this was Crow, huh_? He was different from what I had imagined. Then again, most people were pretty different when they were pissed off like he seemed to be. I guess Yusei had just taken off without telling anyone where he was going. That didn't seem like him so it was no wonder they had been worried. Idiot. The young man looked about Yusei's age, which I knew he was. He was about 5ft 5, so taller than me but shorter than Yusei. His bright orange hair was sticking up much like the spines on a pineapple, and he had yellow markings, " _criminal markers_ " I noted, on his face, though there were a lot more than Yusei had. The redhead was also wearing a ripped vest over a muscle shirt and black pants with combat boots.

He didn't seem to have noticed me on the back of Yusei's bike yet, too caught up in lecturing him about disappearing and worrying his friends.

Suddenly I felt a distinctive wriggling in my bag.

"Ah! Pharaoh!" I reached to catch her, but I was too late. The calico jumped out onto the ground and sat down in front of Yusei, recognizing him. She looked up at him with big eyes and said.

"Mreow?" _"Im hungry. Feed me_." There was a moment of stillness.

"Pharaoh!" I reached to pick her up, but she evaded me. "You know better than that! You'll get your food now relax!"

Yusei POV

I was currently being treated to the comical site of Crow, mouth gaping, watching Judei running around in a long tan trench coat and a red helmet still on his head, chasing after a slightly overweight cat. One had to admit, if you had never met someone like Judei or his friends before, it wasn't exactly something you saw every day.

"What the hell?" Crow muttered. I could only chuckle in agreement. Crows response was to look at me wide-eyed in bewilderment. I know that I've mentioned this before, but I don't exactly express emotions much around others.

I sighed, I knew I couldn't let him run around like a headless chicken forever, no matter how funny it was. I dismounted my duel runner and took my helmet off to set it down on top of the bike. Then I walked over to a corner of the room and knelt down.

"Come here kitty, kitty." The calico almost immediately stopped running away, perked up her ears, and bounded over to me. Within moments she was walking back and forth purring as I petted her with a small smile on my face.*

I have no idea what crow must have thought of the whole situation because he was currently looking at me bug-eyed and mouth agape.

Judei finally seemed to realize he was still wearing his helmet and finally took it off, running his hand through his mop of hair and mock glaring at his pet.

"Damn cat." He half whined. "Why the heck does she like you better than me? _I'm_ her owner!" I knew at this point that Crow was staring at Judei and not the situation. Obviously I wouldn't exactly be happy about it but I couldn't exactly blame him.

Judei was beautiful. After fusing with Yubel, he seemed to have lost all flaws in his now alabaster-pale skin. It was perfectly even and clear- like porcelain. His ice blue eyes resembled the finest blue diamonds, framed with thick chocolate brown lashes that any girl would be jealous of. His features were all delicate and perfectly proportioned. His hair was a warm auburn- brown with a more orange part on the top and a darker brown part on the underside. He was small for a man, only reaching a height of 5ft 3 and had an equally delicate looking body to match his face. I had always thought Judei was good looking, even before he fused with the spirit, but before it had been a sort of rugged attractiveness, something more human. Now, he looked like something almost other worldly (which he was) or some sort of model.

Crow finally seemed to notice he had been staring and seemed to almost mechanically shut his mouth. He adopted a slightly sheepish expression.

"Hey Yus, who's your friend there?" he asked. Judei looked up from where he had been petting pharaoh, who was currently situated in my lap. I smiled slightly, trying to hide my nerves in introducing the two.

"This is Judei, he's a good friend of mine. I told him he could bunk here for a while, if that's okay with you and Jack…?" I trailed off questioningly.

"Huh, yeah, that's okay." Crow responded still slightly staring at Judei.

There was a pause…

"OH SHIT!" he yelled suddenly. "I should probably call um to let 'im know you're okay!" he scrambled back inside, presumably to call the rest of the signers on the phone.

I turned back to Judei with a ghost of a smile. He raised an eyebrow at me, and picked up his cat. Then followed Crow into the house, only pausing to say.

"You sure have weird friends Yusei, now come on Pharaoh, I think it's time to feed you."

"Meow!" the cat replied happily. I shook my head at their antics. Then I followed where my other two companions had gone, smiling all the while.

* I hope you noticed the personality change. J I did it on purpose. This is how Jaden/ Judei perceives himself vs how Yusei perceives him. I'll probably end up doing this a lot. So remember, different POVs = different perceptions and a possible change in personalities.

* Yes, im using pharaoh for comic relief. Deal with it. She has her purpose.


	6. Chapter 6

**I HAVE RETURNED! I will update every time I get a review. That's right just one. If I don't get any, I will update whenever I feel like it, that could be anywhere from a few days to a month or two.** **:)** **More info… Jack, Crow and the others DO NOT know Yusei is gay. This is because it is tied to Yusei's greatest fear which will soon become a central point in the story. Those of you hoping for some sort of revelation are going to have to wait a while. I looove drawing those out as long as feasibly possible. ;)**

 _Earlier- Back with Trudge and Mina…_

General POV

Trudge and Mina are driving one of Domino's highways. Trudge is driving, on the right hand side, with Mina in the passenger seat.  
"You take rejection pretty well, Trudge." Mina said.  
"How else should I take it? What Crow said was right. Just because they saved the city once shouldn't mean they have to step up every time there's a problem. They should be allowed to live their lives however they like. We're Security, so we should catch this guy."  
"Mm. But how?" Mina asked  
Trudge grinned. "By doing exactly what Crow suggested!"

 _Time skip_

Trudge rides his runner on the highways of New Domino, late at night.  
"Feels good to have a duel disk strapped on." He says to himself.  
 _"In fact, I don't think I've had a turbo-duel in the line of duty since the good old days with Yusei!_ " he thinks to himself.

" _And if he had the chops to save the city, then so do I! And tonight, I'm gonna prove it to everyone_!"  
Suddenly, Trudge's runner screen lights up.  
Unidentified duelist approaching. States the computer in an automated female voice.  
"Whaddaya know, an unregistered duel runner. Jackpot, it must be the Ghost!" The man is excited about the prospect of dueling the suspicious figure.  
Trudge rides on and the shadowy challenger pursues. Trudge watches his runner screen.  
" _And he's forcing me into a turbo-duel; perfect!"_ "Let's do this! I activate the field spell, Speed World Two!" Trudge shouts slamming down the card onto his dueling console.  
"Duel mode, engaged. Autopilot, activated." States the computer.  
A wave of purple light spreads out from Trudge's runner, tinting the clouds above fuchsia. Big, illuminated, and very visible signs pop up at intervals along the road, each reading DUEL LANE. Trudge changes lanes as a holographic barrier springs up between the lane he changes into and the rest of the street. He coasts around a corner and his opponent follows. They're now traveling on one of the narrower tracks with rounded edges, built especially as highways for duel runners.  
"Hope you can keep up! My move! (Draw) And I summon Samurai Sword Baron!" says Trudge.  
[Samurai Sword Baron 1600/L4/]  
"But since I went first, I can't attack with him; so I'll end my turn there!"  
"Then it's too me! (Draw)" says the man known as The Ghost.  
(Scoreboard: Trudge 4000, 1 and Ghost 4000, 1. The Ghost's portrait on the scoreboard is a silhouette with glowing eyes.)  
"And I summon Wise Core in defense mode." The Ghost continues.  
[Wise Core 0/0/]  
"Also, I'll place two cards facedown."  
" _this is the duelist that everyone is so afraid of? He plays a monster with zero attack points? Huh! Beating him and locking him up will be easier than I thought!"_ "I'm gonna put you in cuffs, Ghost! (Draw) My turn!" Trudge says.  
(Scoreboard. Trudge, 4000, 2 and Ghost, 4000, 2)  
"I summon Jutte Fighter!"  
[Jutte Fighter 700/L2/]  
"And now I'm going to tune 'im with my Samurai Sword Baron for a synchro-summon!"  
As Samurai Sword Baron and Jutte Fighter break down to green rings and golden outlines, the tuning math scrolls across the bottom of the screen: 4 stars + 2 stars = 6 stars.  
"Say hello to- Goyo Guardian!" Trudge states proudly.  
[Goyo Guardian 2800/L6/]  
"And say goodbye to your monster because when Goyo Guardian takes down that Wise Core, he steals it to my side of the field! Do your thing, Goyo!"  
"Not so fast!" answers The Ghost. "I activate "Negate Attack"!"  
Negate Attack's shielding force repels Goyo's lasso.  
"Uggh. So that's how you wanna play it, huh, Ghost?! Fine, you may've stopped his attack, but his attack points are still locked and loaded for next round! But before we get to that, take this! I activate the "Speed Spell - Count Up"! It lets me gain two speed counters for every card I send to the graveyard!"  
Trudge discards one, the effect monster Gonogo, and his speed counters increase to 4.  
"Next I activate the effect of Speed World Two! Now by removing four speed counters, I deal eight hundred points of damage for each speed spell in my hand! And since I currently hold two speed spells, you take sixteen-hundred points of damage!"  
Trudge's speed counters decrease to zero; his attack appears in the form of a wave of fire from his rear engine.  
"Feel the heat!" he smirks cockily.  
"Nnngh-ouagh...!"  
The Ghost's life points decrease to 2400. Trudge falls behind him, with his reduced speed.  
"Hey, look on the bright side." Trudge laughs. "Since you took damage from Speed World Two, you don't lose any of your speed counters. Your turn now!"  
"And I'll make you pay with it!"  
(Scoreboard. Trudge, 4000, 1 and Ghost, 2400, 3.)  
"I activate the trap "Spark Breaker"! It destroys all the monsters on my field!" says Ghost.  
The card crackles with electrical energy, and Wise Core disintegrates.  
"What?!" asks Trudge in surprise. "Why would you wanna destroy your own monsters?"  
"Because- when Wise Core's destroyed due to a card effect, I'm allowed to summon Machine Emperor Wisel from my deck or hand!"  
Above the Ghost and his runner, five glowing cards appear fanned in midair, lighting up the sky.  
[Meklord Emperor Wisel /]  
Trudge winces away from the light, then looks up, shocked, as Goyo Guardian gets sucked into the light, the glowing green infinity symbol above, and vanishes.  
"No! Goyo Guardian!"  
Above, where the infinity symbol has glowed, a monster appears around it with the infinity across its chest. Its attack points are off the charts, rising immediately from 2500 to 5800.  
"No way! What's happening?! Uuuugghhh?! Whaaaaaaaahhhh!"  
That giant glowing green infinity symbol is the last thing Trudge sees...

There's a big explosion on a runner track somewhere in Domino. Trudge's runner lies fallen on the ground on its side, smoking; some distance away, his helmet lies abandoned, its visor cracked to pieces...


	7. Chapter 7

**Salutations! Yes last chapter was short. Don't worry I have about 4 more currently in progress. The timing of chapters 5-7/8 is going to get a little sketchy. Hence you will probably notice I had a bit of trouble with it. Yusei left the garage at 12:00. Trudge's duel took place at 3:00. Crow came home at 7:00. Yusei and Judei came back at 10:00. Jack, Crow and Akiza began looking for Yusei when Crow got home and realized he wasn't there and no one could get in touch with him. (Say 7:30.) At this time they were more worried about Yusei than Trudge. By the time Trudge is stable enough to go to surgery, it is already 10:30. So no one had known what had happened until then. The rest of the team had just show up as well after searching for Yusei.**

 **Also thank you Mizumi for finally reviewing! I like knowing people like my story! It really encourages me to keep writing!**

General POV

"Note- this is still before sunset and thus before his friends decide to worry about the fact Yusei is missing"

Crow yawns as he rides home late at night.  
 _"Ugh, another night shift in the books. Holding down a job and being a full-time duelist sure takes it outta ya."_  
Crow hears sirens. He's riding past a loop of runner track, on which an ambulance has parked. He looks over at the accident, stops riding, and takes off his goggles. Then he recognizes Trudge, being loaded into the ambulance; Trudge is wrapped in bandages like a mummy, and clearly in a lot of pain.  
"Trudge...!" He says.  
A tear runs down Crow's cheek; he can't believe it.  
"I gotta tell the guys!"

 _Time skip_

"Dammit Yusei! Answer your damn phone!" Crow yelled at the device in anger. Jack and Akiza were on either side of him both trying their luck at reaching their friend.

"Still no luck?" Akiza asked in worry.

"No." Jack scowled.

"Nothin' here." Crow said. Akiza bit her lip in worry.

"You don't think… something might have happened to him, do you? The two young men frowned at the possibility.

"Yusei _is_ a bit of a trouble magnet." Crow muttered in thought.

Jack snorted "a bit? That guy attracts trouble like honey attracts flies." At that statement, Akiza grimaced in determination.

"Right, well I don't know about you two, but I'm going out to look for him."

 _Time skip back_

Yusei POV

I walk into the apartment where Crow is talking on the phone and Judei is raiding our fridge for food. I smiled and chuckled silently. He was always like that. Since I had said he could stay here, Judei was going to make himself at home. He didn't really pay much attention to normal boundaries. Not that I minded.

"So yeah, he just showed up." Crow said into the phone. I assumed he was talking with the rest of the gang.

"No… he's fine, for some reason he has someone else with him, but otherwise he's fine" he suddenly adopted a concerned expression.

"Yeah, I'll tell him. We'll head over there now." Now I was worried. Had something happened? Crow hung up the phone. Then he turned around to face me. He looked serious.

"Yusei… Trudge got into an accident."

 _Time skip_

I push through the front doors of the hospital, Crow a step behind. Judei follows at a slower pace.  
"Jack, Mina, Akiza!" I say.  
"Hey, guys." Akiza responds. Jack doesn't even seem to notice at me  
"Where's Trudge?" I ask  
"The E.R.!" mina responds. I hesitate for a moment.  
"…Will he make it?"  
"The doctors aren't sure yet." Says Akiza.  
We all turn at the sound of a door opening. Trudge is wheeled out into the hallway, still wrapped in bandages. All five hurry to his side.  
"Trudge!" says Jack.  
One of the doctors speaks.  
\- Nurse, prep the O.R., stat!  
I lean over Trudge to see his face; Trudge is wincing in pain, but conscious. Both sides of Trudge's jaw have gauze pads taped to them. Bandages are wrapped around his forehead and across his cheek, holding in place a swath of them covering his right eye and ear.  
"What happened? Who did this?!" I ask.  
"The Ghost...! Watch out...! Synchros are useless!" he says breathlessly.  
"What do you mean?" I ask.  
The doctors wheel him away.  
\- There's no time to lose! Let's move!  
They wheel Trudge through a door, and the light above it lights up, bright red. All five of us stand in the hallway for a moment, silent. Jack approaches Mina.  
"So Trudge took on the Ghost all alone?" the blonde asks.  
Mina's voice wavers as she replies.  
"I'm afraid so. He really took what you guys said to heart; that this was something Security should fix. But I guess it was a bit more than he could handle."  
The three guys and one girl are silent. My eyes narrow; I've come to a decision.

Judei / Jaden POV

Yusei's friends were panicking. Apparently, he hadn't told them where he was going and considering the time, the fact they were worried didn't surprise me at all.

"So yeah, he just showed up." Crow said into the phone. Apparently talking to the rest of Yusei's friends.

"No… he's fine, for some reason he has someone else with him, but otherwise he's fine" he suddenly adopted a concerned expression. I knew Yusei hadn't told anyone about me, aside from the potential problem with the time stream, Yusei wasn't exactly forthcoming about the fact that he liked men.

"Yeah, I'll tell him. We'll head over there now." I was… slightly confused. " _Had something happened?"_ Crow hung up the phone. Then he turned around to face Yusei. He looked serious.

"Yusei… Trudge got into an accident." Yusei's eyes immediately widened and he had a panicked look on his face. I didn't even question the fact that we were going to visit this "Trudge"… this person that I didn't know.

" _There's… a lot I don't really know about Yusei, isn't there."_ I couldn't help but feel… saddened by this fact. I was an almost frighteningly possessive person, it was part of why I had distanced myself from my friends back at duel academy. The fact that Yusei didn't mind this trait of mine was something I didn't understand, yet valued highly in him.

 _"_ _And of course it's normal to want to know everything about someone you love… right?"_

To Yusei, I don't know if it was natural to him that I would tag along or if he just didn't notice me, though that wasn't very likely. The guy seemed to have a 6th sense, much like I did for knowing exactly where I was. It was how he had found me after all. Although the crimson dragon probably helped.

We rode to the hospital in silence and I trod through the doors behind Yusei carefully and slowly, while he seemed to practically burst through them.  
"Jack, Mina, Akiza!" He says.  
"Hey, guys." A girl with dark red hair responds. A tall man with blonde hair doesn't even seem to notice Yusei had spoken.  
"Where's Trudge?" Yusei ask  
"The E.R.!" a woman with short blue hair dressed in a smart navy suit responds. Yusei hesitates for a moment.  
"…Will he make it?"  
"The doctors aren't sure yet." Says the girl with red hair.  
We all turn at the sound of a door opening. Trudge is wheeled out into the hallway, still wrapped in bandages. All four hurry to his side. I look on, feeling out of place.  
"Trudge!" says the blonde.  
One of the doctors speaks.  
\- Nurse, prep the O.R., stat!  
Yusei leans over Trudge to see his face; Trudge is wincing in pain, but conscious. Both sides of Trudge's jaw have gauze pads taped to them. Bandages are wrapped around his forehead and across his cheek. I can't help but nervously cover my nose at the scent of blood and… something else?

 _"_ _Shadow magic?" "It can't be."_  
"What happened? Who did this?!" Yusei asked desperately.  
"The Ghost...! Watch out...! Synchro's are useless!" the man says breathlessly.  
"What do you mean?" Yusei says.  
The doctors wheel him away.  
\- There's no time to lose! Let's move!  
They wheel Trudge through a door, and the light above it lights up, bright red. All five of us stand in the hallway for a moment, silent. Jack approaches Mina.  
"So Trudge took on the Ghost all alone?" the blonde asks.  
Mina's voice wavers as she replies.  
"I'm afraid so. He really took what you guys said to heart; that this was something Security should fix. But I guess it was a bit more than he could handle."  
The three guys and one girl are silent. I at least, in contemplation.

Yusei POV

The first-story windows of Zora's building blaze fluorescent light. Inside...

Crow angrily hits the WRGP poster on the wall with a fist.  
"Man! This is all my fault, I'm the one who turned 'im down!" Crow says.  
Jack is leaning against a wall nearby; I'm sitting at a table, ungloved fingers laced under my chin in thought. All three of us are tense and worried, but Crow is distraught. In all of the chaos of the situation. We had all forgotten about Judei. So I flinched when he came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. My two friends still seemed to not have noticed there was an extra person in the room.  
"He's all banged-up because a' me..." Crow moaned.  
Jack walks across the room; I turn to Crow.  
"Stop it, Crow. That's not true; and playing the blame game isn't going to solve a thing. It certainly isn't going to stop the Ghost." I reprimanded him.  
"Then what?! Should we all just sit around here and pout?!"

"Actually..." I started.

"If you're thinking of doing something stupid, I can tell you right now it's a bad idea Yusei." Judei spoke for the first time since we had gotten the news about Trudge. Both Jack and Crow suddenly looked to him, finally seeming to realize he was in the room.

"Well you got a better idea kid?" Jack asked him… and was completely ignored. Judei was looking at me to hear my response.

"Not like you even know what the situation is in the first place" Crow continued. He was also ignored. It was like they weren't even in the room. I lightly bit my lip, and looked right into Judei's eyes.

"You can't stop me." I said softly. "I can take care of myself." He tilted his head slightly as if pondering what I had said.

"I wasn't going to stop you." Judei finally said in an equally soft and eerily calm voice. "I just figured someone should tell you it was a stupid idea." His eyes flashed slightly. "At the very least, I'm coming with you."

I nodded in acknowledgement. I knew I couldn't stop him anymore than he could stop me. Not to mention, Judei had a frightening protective streak. It was better to have him close if it decided to rear its ugly head. Jack and Crow seemed shocked that I would just give in to someone so easily. Especially someone who, to them at least, was a virtual stranger.

"Now wait just a minute Yus'" Crow said. "are ya' sure that's such a good idea. I mean we barely know the kid."

I shook my head. "First of all, Judei isn't a kid, he's 18. Second, I've known him for a long time and I would trust him with my life." I looked at my two friends with a completely serious expression.

Crow hesitated. "Well, if you trust him _that much_ , I guess he can't be all bad." He said. I turned to look at Jack, who nodded in agreement with Crow's statement. I practically gave a sigh of relief. Then "grinned"* wickedly.

"Let's go do something stupid. Right Judei?" I say. He merely rolls his eyes at me and straps on the spare helmet that he had somehow gotten a hold of.  
Crow catches his riding helmet that I toss to him.  
I put on my gloves; Jack has picked up his own helmet.  
"Let's go find the Ghost, and take him down!" I exclaim.  
"Right! No one hurts one of our pals and gets away with it!" Jack says.  
In short order, sheets are thrown off of their duel runners, each one shiny and ready for action. My red runner, with its aerodynamic wave-motion design; and Jack's white runner, with its distinctive circular shape. Crow begins to cheer up.  
"All right! Let's go! Yeah!" Crow Pumps his fist in the air.  
He jams his helmet onto his head and hurries over to us.

The garage door opens; Jack is on the right wing, Crow left, and Judei and I are riding center. We rev up our engines, race up the ramp outside, and out onto the dark streets. Jack splits off to my left, Crow to my right.

Jack speaks into his radio, cool and confident.  
"Lovely night for a duel!"

Crow responds  
"I'll say, and for some major payback!"

I hear Crow over his radio.  
"This is gonna be fun!"  
I, however, am somber, ready to avenge Trudge.

* When I refer to Yusei's expressions, they are usually more muted than a normal persons. Like his smiles are only barely seeable for example. The only person he really expresses noticeable emotion around is Judei.


	8. Chapter 8

**8\. Ohayou! I am back and ready to write! Sorry for taking a while to update this time! I just haven't really felt like writing lately. We are approaching the end of episode 65. Im super excited to move onto the next one! (I hope you guys appreciate that my author's notes are not useless *sweat drop.*) thank you for reviewing and I'm sticking to my promise for uploads. More character development in this chapter hopefully.** **J**

Yusei POV

The teardrop-loop arch looms on the skyline. Crow keeps riding.  
"Looks like the sun is startin' to come up." He says through the intercom. I glance to the horizon. The orange sky seemed to be touching its light all over the edge of the city.

"We've been riding around all night long and there hasn't been one sign of the Ghost!" Jack complains.

He _was_ right. Judei had actually fallen asleep on my back hours ago. His helmet clad head was resting on my shoulder and he had his arms around my waist, even asleep he seemed to hold on just fine.

Then, my runner screen starts beeping. It shows a camera feed behind the runner, of a duel runner appearing over the horizon behind me  
 _"Huh?"_  
"Unidentified duelist approaching from the rear." Says the computer.  
"The Ghost! It's just gotta be!" I say out loud.  
"All right!" says jack  
"Get 'im!" says Crow, both over the radio.  
"Setting Speed World Two!"  
I press the button on top of my right-side hand grip. The card image flashes across my runner screen as it switches to a dueling display; there is a glimpse of a clock on my screen that reads 5:10AM, and my speed's fluctuating around 300 mph.  
"Dual mode engaged. Autopilot activated." States the computer.  
A ring of light spreads from my runner. The DUEL LANE signs pop up and a red glowing holographic barrier separates me from the main road. Loudspeakers blare on the nearby streets.  
"A turbo-duel is about to commence. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately." The computer says over loudspeaker.  
"It's go-time!"  
My runner screen is showing schematics of New Domino's runner courses.  
"Formulating cross-town duel course, and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization." Says the computer. "Authorization, granted."  
The entire street is elevated a story upward by means of a rather extravagantly nifty mechanized system. Apparently this happens every time there's a turbo-duel starting in the streets. The side of the elevated street bears a scrolling ticker that reads, DUEL LANE SET - CAUTION.  
The computer says over loudspeaker "Combat lane transfiguration, underway. Combat lane transfiguration, underway."  
The track on top of the building lights up, backlit for easy visibility. The Ghost and I race across it and onto a curve-sided runner track.  
"Let's rev it up!"  
"My first!" says the Ghost. "And I think I'll summon Wise Core from my hand!"  
[Wise Core 0/0/L1/dark]  
"Wise Core is a level-one dark-attribute machine-type monster, with zero attack points, and zero defense points." The computer informs me.  
"Then I'll place one card facedown to end my turn!"  
" _A monster with zero attack points...?"_ "My turn now!"  
(Scoreboard. Ghost, 4000, 1. Yusei, 4000, 1.)  
"You may not care for attack points, but I tend to like them!" I say. "Come on out, Max Warrior!"  
[Max Warrior 1600/L4]  
"Now, Max Warrior, attack Wise Core! Oh, and by the way. When Max Warrior attacks, he gains four hundred points to help with his assault! Now let 'im have it!" In the back of my mind, I realized I was perhaps being overconfident, but I wanted revenge for what this duelist had done to my friend while in MY city.  
"No- he'll keep it, because I activate the trap "Labyrinth of Klein"! This makes all battle damage for the turn become zero, and keeps any monsters from getting destroyed! But there's more. The monster that waged the attack now has his original attack points swapped with his original defense points!" says the Ghost.  
Max Warrior switches to defense mode, and his attack points become 800 due to his own ability.  
"He's protecting that Wise Core." I mutter to myself. "But the question is, why?" "… Oh well. If I destroy it, it won't matter. Which is why I'm gonna special-summon, Turbo Booster!"  
[Turbo Booster 0/L1/]  
"Ya see, since I successfully summoned a monster this turn, I'm now allowed to special-summon Turbo Booster from my hand. He won't hang around for long, but long enough for me to take down your Wise Core! That's right- since he mixed it up with Max Warrior, he's fair game to take down!" I exclaim.  
Turbo Booster itself explodes as it shoots its arm-rockets toward Wise Core. Two direct hits. The Ghost, unfazed, draws even with me. Even at this close range, his face is obscured.  
"Hmph. Why, thank you." He says  
"Huh!" _"What?"_  
I can just see the Ghost's eyes through his visor; they are an unnatural shade of yellow, and slightly luminescent.  
"Fool! Don't you know? When Wise Core is destroyed due to an effect, all monsters on my field are destroyed- but I then get to summon Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity—"  
[Meklord Emperor Wisel ∞ /]  
"Wisel Top—"  
[Wisel Top 500/]  
"Wisel Attack—"  
[Wisel Attack 1200/]  
"Wisel Guard—"  
[Wisel Guard /1200/]  
"And Wisel Carrier from my deck or my hand!"  
[Wisel Carrier 800/]  
"Impossible! Five monsters summoned at once?!"I exclaim. " _Did I underestimate this person?"_  
That depends on how you look at it. I activate the special ability of Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity!  
Two hatches open up on Wisel Infinity, each in the shape of a teardrop facing the other; an infinity symbol. One of the five pieces unfolds to become an arm, as does another, a third unfolds legs, and they start to snap together. A hatch opens in the top of Wisel Infinity, and a head snaps down into it. The head unfolds; it's armored in white metal like the rest of the giant robot, and its face is black with glowing red outlines, not unlike the visage of an Earthbound Immortal. Green lights can be seen fusing and smoldering in its chest. It's big, it's bad, and it's a huge fighting robot. The light of the rising sun glistens off its shiny metal.)  
"Hahahahahahaha!"  
I turn my head and look up at the huge robot looming above him.  
"From five comes one- and now you're done!"  
" _Uh-oh. So much for payback!_ "  
As the robot reaches for me with one giant metal hand, To Be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back! I did say I was only going to update fast if I got reviews. In case you didn't get that. Reviews= same day updates. (At** ** _least if I find the reviews I haven't checked them since March and just realized someone left one *adopts sheepish look*_** **) Duh. Anyway, I realized I tend to write more once I figure out there are so not enough star shipping fics. Seriously, I can't find, like, any. If you find any let me know please! This is one of my favorite pairings! I want you to understand one thing about Judei if nothing else. He is not human. He knows he's not human. Thus humans make him uncomfortable and he doesn't like being around them. Also, for anyone who can guess the reason he has blue eyes…..**

 ** _MORE!_**

 **And don't worry, Judei didn't mysteriously vanish. Oh yeah, and this is likely a few chapters early but I figured I'd give the audience a bit of a teaser. The deck I have planned for Judei is almost 100% made up, but the whole thing is one** **gigantic** **clue as to one of the main points of who he is in the story. Since he's not going to be dueling for a few more episodes I** ** _will_** **tell you the name I came up with for a key card. Ascension. Good luck guessing** **J**

 **P.S. I will be re-uploading most earlier chapters within the next month or two, so I suggest re-reading them in order to keep up when that happens, there are going to be some (small) changes to the plotline. (This is also the reason that I am uploading such a short chapter. Since I am updating one at the same time)**

General POV

It is now well into the morning; the sun gleams between the tall skyscrapers at the center of the city. The clock on the front of Zora's building reads half-past 5 in the morning; maybe Domino's just that sunny, or maybe it's broken. Luna and Leo run through the plaza outside, and burst through the front doors of the entrance to Yusei, Jack, and Crow's garage.  
"Yusei?" says Leo.  
They look around. The large side garage door is wide open. The tarps or blankets that covered the guys' duel runners are in disarray on the floor. Akiza is standing at the table against one wall, strewn with papers and notepads, with a map posted on the wall above it.  
Leo asks "Hey, where is every- huh?"  
"Akiza...?" Luna asks softly.  
"What're you doing here? Where're the guys?" says Leo.  
"I don't know," akiza replies. "But I had this bad feeling."  
Luna is holding her right forearm.  
"Oh, no. And I thought it was just me." She says.  
Akiza looks at her own right forearm.  
"I'm afraid not; my mark has been signaling me as well, something's wrong."

As she gazes at her arm, she can clearly envision the claw mark of the Crimson Dragon glowing upon it.  
 _"After all, the bond we share as Signers is a strong one."_

Luna gazes at her own forearm with a worried look on her face.  
"If one of us is in danger, we all can feel it. Take heart; Yusei has a strong spirit. He can take care of himself." Akiza reassures her.  
The twins dubiously share a look. Akiza looks up at the window above.  
 _"... I hope..."_

The duel rages onward. Jack and Crow are following it, one on each of two highways that run parallel to the duel track.  
"What is that thing?!" Crow says. "I've never seen a duel monster like it!"

"Seems the Ghost has a few tricks up his sleeve." Jack says

Yusei zooms onward with his Max Warrior, while the Ghost and his Machine Emperor Wisel loom behind.  
Crow calls out to the others over the radio. "C'mon, let's get a closer look!"

Coming up is a point where the duel track and the highway converge side-by-side; the gate between them is labeled with a sign that reads DUELGATE 0014. Jack and Crow are now riding side-by-side. Crow's runner screen shows an image of Machine Emperor Wisel, then shows the cards of which it's composed.  
"What in the world?" Crow says in alarm. "That one monster is made up of five different duel cards? How can that be? Or better yet, how can Yusei take it down?"  
"I dunno," Jack responds "but he better figure out a way fast! For all we know, that's the creature that put Trudge in the hospital, and maybe the others, too!"  
"Yeah; if Yusei can't crash that creature, then he could end up crashing."

General P.O.V

"I place two cards facedown to end my turn!" Yusei said  
"To me, then. Draw!" the ghost dramatically draws a card from his deck.  
(Scoreboard Ghost 4000, 2; Yusei 4000, 2)  
"...And to my Machine Emperor Wisel. Attack Max Warrior with Stainless Steel Slash!"  
"Huh... I activate the trap "Shock Reborn"!" Yusei smiles tightly. "Now, all battle damage dealt to me is cut in half! Sure, this is still gonna hurt- but it's not gonna hurt as much!" he winces as he braces himself for the impact.  
Machine Emperor Wisel scores Max Warrior across the front; Yusei's monster explodes in a huge cloud of black smoke. Yusei hangs on, riding through it.  
Yusei grunts. Simulated or not, pain was still pain. "Thanks, Shock Reborn."  
Yusei's life points now stand at 3150  
Yusei's eyes gleam. "And thanks for the monster I can now summon! Because due to my trap, I can bring back a monster with less attack points than the damage I just took! That means, you're up, Turbo Booster!"  
[Turbo Booster 0/]  
"You'll need a bigger boost than that to stand a chance against me!" the Ghost snorts. "I place one card facedown and end my turn! Heheheheheheheheheheh..." the man seems to laugh to himself in delight, or perhaps it was insanity. After all, what sane person would duel people in order to force them to crash?  
"Then I'm up!" Yusei says.  
Scoreboard. Ghost 4000, 3; Yusei 3150, 3.  
" _And up for some serious damage if I can't find a way to get back in this duel! It's now- or never."_


	10. Chapter 10

ok first things first. this story is undergoing a massive overhaul. I suppose you could even consider it a totally separate story. the core ideas and plot are the same, but the rest? lets just say this fic evolved way beyond recognition since the last time I posted. it will still be under the same name and I will have posted the first chapter at the same time I post this so don't worry! I'm not leaving you guys in too much anticipation.


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